Thankful for a Safe Pocono Weekend
It was just a picture perfect weekend in the Pocono Mountains. The smell of vendor’s food and high octane racing fuel fills the air around the vast facility known at Pocono Raceway. This weekend the tricky triangle plays host to the fastest cars in the world, the Indy Racing Series.
Walking through the garage Saturday morning found fans, drivers and their teams all busy preparing for the day’s events. A couple rounds of practice followed by qualifying for Sundays big event is on the agenda. Fans make their way into the grandstand to witness these cars driver their cars 240+ down the long front stretch in hopes of starting Sunday’s race up front.
As I make my way to my grandstand seat, I’m still amazed at the speed in which these cars travel. It doesn’t matter how many times I’ve seen these cars run, my mouth opens in awe every time I see these cars fly around a track. And to be totally truthful. I get scared.
I immediately recall just 2 short years ago watching with horror as Justin Wilson was hit in the head with debris at this very track and was killed. Wilson suffered a traumatic brain injury and was gone at the young age of 37.
I do realize I might have to surrender my man card here but watching these drivers with their heads sticking out of a cockpit, scares the crap out of me. Saturday afternoon, under a clear blue sky gave me the biggest scare of the weekend. Ryan Hunter-Reay lost control of his car, slid hard into the wall and then, as if to run salt on a wound, slid into the pit wall, barely missing the barrels sat up at the beginning of pit road. I lost my breath as if I were the one driving the car.
I felt something else while watching Hunter-Reay struggle to get out of his vehicle. I felt guilt. Here are these young men racing at these ridiculously high speed for what? My entertainment? Is it really not so unlike the old gladiator days where men were forced to battle wild animals for the amusement of others? Of course that’s a huge stretch but its how I felt immediately after watching Hunter-Reay’s car explode into pieces in front of my eyes.
Throughout my years as a volunteer firefighter I’ve experienced the pure evil of vehicle accidents. I’ve seen death and decapitation that remains as vivid in my memory as if it happened yesterday. I still dream occasionally of the young man in his late teams, staring at me while trapped in his mangled car and asking, “Will I walk again?”
I remember being asked so many times I couldn’t count, if a family member was OK. Or could you call my Mom? Dad? Husband? Wife?
Sure these drivers are well compensated for what they do but there’s something wrong in my opinion of cars going 240mph for MY benefit. After Hunter-Reay’s accident I turned to my friend and said, “I friggin hate these cars.”
After Sundays race the throngs of fans left the raceway and headed back home to their normal lives. I was just glad that all of the drivers were able to do the same. For my benefit.
Thanks for reading. Listen to WTBQ radio on Monday and Friday mornings at 8:45 as I join Frank, Taylor and the Morning Show gang to discuss all the current happenings in NASCAR. 1110AM 93.5FM or online at WTBQ.COM. You can also follow me on twitter @JimLaplante
